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January 2023
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A message from Yuba Water General Manager Willie Whittlesey
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Greetings,
What a difference a few weeks of wet weather can make. Following the recent string of atmospheric river storms that passed through our region, New Bullards Bar Reservoir is at 80 percent of its total capacity, which is well above the historical average for this time of year.
The Yuba River watershed also welcomed mostly beneficial rain and snow over the last four weeks, with some areas receiving up to 25 inches of rain. Additionally, thanks to continued investments in reducing flood risk – by Yuba Water and our local, state and federal partners – local levees and other critical public safety infrastructure performed as designed during the recent storms.
While our watershed largely reaped the benefits of all the recent rain and snow, these storms have brought tremendous challenges for many communities. As California's "weather whiplash" increasingly becomes the norm, more extreme storms are expected in the future, which increases our risk.
That's why we remain committed to doing everything we can to reduce flood risk in both Yuba County and the broader region. From working with our partners to strengthen our levee system and improve our weather forecasts, to refining our reservoir operations and planning for an Atmospheric River Control Spillway at New Bullards Bar – Yuba Water will continue to push for a brighter future for Yuba County in 2023 and beyond.
Willie Whittlesey
Yuba Water General Manager
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The Tricky Yuba (featured video)
The intense storms that hit California over the last month are a reminder of why Yuba Water was created in the first place – to reduce flood risk for the people of Yuba County. "The Tricky Yuba" explores the agency's history, how and why it came to be, what's been accomplished over the last 60+ years and the bold initiatives in the works for Yuba County. [Watch the film]
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Yuba Water Board of Directors votes on new leadership, welcomes two new members
 During its first meeting of the new year on Jan. 3, Yuba Water's Board of Directors unanimously selected Gary Bradford as chairman and Don Blaser as vice-chairman for the 2023 calendar year. The board also welcomed Wayne Bishop and Jon Messick as its two newest board members. Bishop and Messick will both serve four-year terms on Yuba Water’s board. [Read on]
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Adapting to California’s “weather whiplash” with Forecast-Informed Reservoir Operations
 Our “weather whiplash” is increasingly marked by long periods of warm, dry conditions punctuated by stronger and wetter atmospheric river storms like what we've seen in recent weeks. What’s more, research suggests these storms are becoming more intense. John James, our director of natural resource planning, describes how we're preparing. [Read on]
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Agency-funded grants will support water supply improvements, watershed resilience and more
 Yuba Water's board recently committed more than $1 million in grant funding to support local water supply reliability, watershed resilience, flood risk reduction and first responder agencies in Yuba County. The grants reflect the agency's commitment to reinvest up to $10 million each year on community impact grants that align with our core mission areas. [Read on]
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New Bear River Setback Levee reduces flood risk for Wheatland residents
 A new-and-improved setback levee was recently completed along the Bear River west of the City of Wheatland, just in time for the recent series of storms. The new levee performed as designed during the storms, giving the river more room to spread out, and significantly reducing flood risk for Wheatland residents. [Read on]
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Yuba Water funds additional Yuba County levee upgrades and climate resilience planning
 Recently approved funding from Yuba Water aims to leverage state and federal dollars for a total investment of $41.6 million into completing the design and implementation of a Climate Resiliency Project and to prepare a feasibility study for a multi-benefit project in an area of the lower Yuba River known as the Goldfields. [Read on]
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Yuba Water adopts new five-year strategic plan to guide the agency through 2027
 Yuba Water’s new strategic plan maintains the agency's existing mission and vision statements and includes updated, overarching strategic priorities with supporting objectives and specific, action-based strategies to guide implementation. The plan also outlines budgeting and resource allocation priorities through 2027. [Read on]
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Past Directors Hastey and Fletcher recognized for their service
 Former Vice Chairman Randy Fletcher and Director Brent Hastey were recognized in December for their contributions and service to the agency over the years. Hastey's seat was filled by Director Wayne Bishop; Fletcher's seat was filled by County Supervisor Jon Messick. Visit our website to read more about their service. [Read on]
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Are you on NextDoor? Connect with Yuba Water!
 Yuba Water is expanding its online presence – we're now on NextDoor! If you live in Yuba County, be sure to subscribe to our feed to see agency news and announcements, updates related to New Bullards Bar Dam and the lower Yuba River, upcoming community events and more. [Read on]
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Remembering the New Year's flood of 1997
The swollen Feather (above) and Yuba (below) rivers surround the City of Marysville in January 1997.
The New Year’s flood of 1997 was the largest in Northern California’s 115-year record in terms of storm intensity and runoff. By the end of January, 48 of the state’s 58 counties were declared disaster areas due to high flows and subsequent flooding in nearly all of Northern California’s major rivers. Learn more about the flood and the significant work that's been done since then to reduce flood risk. [Read more]
- Yuba Water Board of Directors Regular Meeting (Feb. 7, 21)
- National Engineers Week (Feb. 19-25)
- Presidents Day - offices closed (Feb. 20)
- National Groundwater Awareness Week (Mar. 6-12)
- Yuba Water Board of Directors Regular Meeting (Mar. 7, 21)
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